Choices
by Raeinspace
Summary: Two one-shot stories (sort of linked). Established SwanQueen. Regina struggled to give up her magic and she is just beginning to discover the consequences. Will she change her mind? COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT.**

**AN: Please, no prompts. They just stick in my head and go round and round until I start writing something for them – and I already have enough of my own ideas to write. Then once I have an idea, I want to know more and try to imagine the back story, and once I start writing I start wondering what will happen next. Of course, if I don't take a break from writing fanfic soon I may just fail my course but as I'm paying for it myself I really don't want to do that. Why is it so hard to stop writing this stuff? I think I may be addicted. J **

**PS. This is based on a prompt by Butterflykisses0. It is a one-shot. Almost definitely. Hope you enjoy.**

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The thing about magic, Regina mused as she splashed cold water on her face, was that it slowed the aging process. She reached for a towel to dry herself and glanced at the mirror over the sink. Even though she hadn't used magic since casting the curse, the little time warp the town had been under had a similar effect. For twenty-eight years she had looked exactly the same. Now, and she frowned a little at the thought, there was an enormous grey streak daring to ruin her wonderful hair.

She reached up and brought it in front of her eye, wondering if she dared to try the hair dye advertised in this world.

"To pull, or not to pull." She muttered to herself.

"Don't you dare." Emma's cheek pressed against hers as she came up and wrapped her arms around Regina's waist.

"What?"

"I like the grey hair."

"I thought you were asleep."

"I was, and then you got up without me." Emma wrapped her fingers around Regina's hand. "Leave it. If you start pulling them out one at a time you'll end up bald."

Regina raised an eyebrow, sceptically. "It's just one hair."

"And once one has appeared, more will follow. It's inevitable. So don't worry, just leave it."

"But it means I'm getting _old_." Regina huffed, letting go of the hair and deciding to remove it as soon as Emma was out of the bathroom. "I'm not ready to be old."

"Darling, you don't need to worry so much. You're gorgeous."

Regina turned around so that she was facing Emma,. "Looks don't last forever. This is just signalling the start of the downward spiral. If I had my magic…"

"Hey, you agreed…"

"I know." Regina sighed. "It's all your fault, you know."

"How? It's just an expression, that someone can turn your hair grey. Just because I nearly set the kitchen on fire…"

"You broke the curse." Regina explained. "So I'm aging again. If I still used magic it would be slowed down, but now I'll be just like everybody else."

"Good." Emma kissed her. "We can grow old together, compare wrinkles and liver spots."

Regina shivered in mock horror. "If you won't let me use magic, I'll have to look into this worlds alternative solutions. Like plastic surgery."

"Have you seen the horror stories when that goes wrong? Trust me, its not worth it."

Regina turned back to her reflection, as if searching for more faults. Feeling a little worried, Emma hugged her again.

"You know I love you, no matter what." She told her. "I didn't fall in love with you for your looks and I won't stop loving you just because you get older."

Regina smiled at her words. "I love you too."

"Now, do you want to come back to bed while we still have these smoking hot young bodies and …?"

"Emma!" Regina allowed herself to laugh and finally relax.

"That's better." Emma leant in and kissed the side of Regina's mouth, before following it up with a few more kissed trailing down her neck. "If you're going to get wrinkles, it's best that they come from laughing instead of frowning."

Regina groaned. "You're still going to be like this when we're both old and grey, aren't you?"

"I hope so. We'll just have to wait and find out together."

"Definitely together." Regina agreed, capturing her lips.

"I've been thinking…"

"Go on."

Emma looked a little nervous. "What if we tried something new, to spice up things in the bedroom?"

"You see? I knew it. As we get older you'll be less satisfied…"

"Woah, slow down. I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what…?"

"I was passing the store in town, you know the one with the empty window display so it won't traumatise the children, and I took a look inside…"

"The sex shop?" Regina sounded shocked that Emma had gone in.

"Not quite how I'd put it."

"That's why you have that _thing_ hidden at the back of the drawer in our room?"

"You… er, you found that?" Emma blushed. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

"I was tidying up." _Not snooping_, Regina added silently, though she didn't really believe that anymore.

"So what do you think? Do you want to try it?"

"I don't know."

Regina didn't want to admit not knowing what it was. Other than using the other worlds version of handcuffs to restrain Graham once or twice, she had never found the need for sex 'props'.

"Maybe if I show you?" Emma suggested.

Emma seemed so eager; Regina felt she didn't have a choice. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a proper look."

"Great." Emma grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the bedroom.

She rummaged around until she found what she was looking for and pulled out the little box. Regina watched as she opened the box and Emma held it out to show her.

"So what does it do?"

"It's called a vibrator. You insert these little batteries and it, well... vibrates. The sensation is really amazing. Let me show you. Lie back on the bed."

Regina frowned.

"There's no need to be scared. Look, hold out your hand." Emma undid the end and checked the instructions to see which way she had to insert the batteries.

Once they were in, she pressed the little button and it began vibrating. Regina had raised her hand a little but kept it close to her. Gently Emma reached with her free hand and brought Regina closer. She ran the vibrator down her hand once and watched the reaction on Regina's face. The strange sensation caused her to jump, but Regina looked curious as Emma pulled it away. Emma moved the vibrator back against Regina's hand, this time slowly tracing a wriggly pattern over her palm.

"See." Emma bit her bottom lip as she waited for Regina to speak.

Regina nodded. "Okay. I'd like to try it."

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**AN: The prompt was "Emma has to explain a sex toy to Regina". **


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: butterflykisses0 2nd prompt.**

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The low, dull ache in her stomach pulled Regina out of bed and had her heading into the bathroom long before her alarm was due to go off. It was something she hadn't felt in a long time but she couldn't quite remember the last time. She hovered over the toilet, expecting to be sick or something, but she didn't have an acid taste in her mouth. Deciding it was a false alarm, Regina took a deep breath and relaxed.

Twenty minutes later, the sound of something heavy falling woke Emma from sleep. She opened bleary eyes and looked for Regina.

"What's going on?" She asked, spotting a familiar silhouette rummaging through their drawers.

Regina didn't turn around as she answered. "I knew this aging thing was a bad idea."

"Huh?"

Even though Regina's voice was still just a whisper, her reply was clear enough for Emma to hear.

"I've got my damn period!"

"So?"

Another drawer was shut with force.

"What's the big deal?"

Regina finally turned to face her. "It's been… decades! I told you, using magic stopped me from aging. It also stops me from having… this."

"Oh. So do you need to borrow… anything?"

"I don't even know what I'm looking for." Regina admitted.

Emma rushed to get out of the bed and help her. "It's okay."

"It's so embarrassing."

"Why?"

"Because I should know what to do."

"But if you never had to find out…"

"Because I had magic, and then the curse..."

Emma tucked an arm through Regina's and led her back into the bathroom where she had hidden her supplies. "There in here because I didn't want Henry to see them by accident and get embarrassed. You said you'd had the talk with him, but still…"

"That makes sense."

"So, is this all you need? I mean, you do understand about why…"

Regina blushed. "Yes, my mother made sure… it was long before I started using magic. I should have looked all this up on the Internet after I stopped using magic, but we've been so busy and it didn't occur to me."

"You don't have to apologise." Emma took her time, patiently explaining to Regina about the difference between tampons and pads.

Luckily she had both and Regina listened intently, thanking her when she had finished.

"Are you ready to go back to bed?" Emma asked when Regina had made her choice.

"I still feel a little yucky." Regina admitted. "I think I'll get something to eat."

"A hot water bottle might help."

"I'm not cold."

"No, but the warmth near your stomach should ease the discomfort. One of my foster mothers used to get really bad cramps and she'd stay in bed through the whole first day, only getting up to reheat it. Of course, she didn't work so that didn't pose a problem."

"I can't take a day off sick every month. I have to go to work."

"I've heard chocolate's good."

"You say that about everything." Regna reminded her.

"Why don't you go back to bed and I'll get you some."

"You don't have to take care of me. I can still look after myself."

Emma smiled. Clearly grumpiness would be a symptom of Regina's cycle. She wasn't sure she should be smiling about it, but on the other hand it was one way to confirm Regina wasn't using magic.

"Wait a minute, if you weren't getting your period, does that mean…"

Regina nodded as if she knew what Emma was thinking and climbed onto the bed. "Another side effect of using magic meant it worked as a form of birth control, because my body remained the same from day to day. Of course, I was using dark magic, so maybe that had something to do with it. I never knew any good witches and the subject never came up."

Of course, her mother had used magic. Regina realised she had never questioned that until now. Had her mother really given up her powers for nine months just to have her?

"Is this something we should be worried about?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, back in the Enchanted Forest there was magic everywhere. Was it possible for two women to…"

"Have children?" Regina took a moment to think as she pulled the blanket around her. "I never heard about it. Unless a fairy granted their wish, or they found some other _good _magical way… but the lives of peasants weren't that important to me. Why?"

"We're never talked about it. Having children."

"We've got Henry."

"I know. I'm not saying I want more children, but… do you?"

"I haven't thought about it."

Emma let the awkward moment linger between them before saying she would go and get the hot water bottle and chocolate.

When she returned to the room, Regina's eyes were closed so she left the chocolate on the side and tucked the hot water bottle under the blankets for Regina to find when she woke. She tiptoed out of the room and began making arrangements for the rest of the day; calling David to ask him to cover for her at work and grabbing a bowl with some cereal for Henry. Regina liked to make him eggs, toast and other healthy options for breakfast, allowing the chocolate covered flakes at the weekends only but Emma figured cereal would be quicker and knew Henry wouldn't complain. She poured herself a bowl and began munching on them, not bothering with the milk as she tried tidying up the kitchen. When Regina woke she planned on taking care of her all day. She would insist Regina either stay in bed or sit on the soda with a blanket so that they could watch movies. Then for lunch she would make their sandwiches and…

"Henry's lunch." She reminded herself, grabbing another handful of cereal and cramming it into her mouth.

The sandwich was almost finished when Henry came downstairs. He looked at Emma, worried when he realised Regina wasn't there.

"Is mom okay?"

"Yeah, she's still sleeping so I'm making your lunch today. Help yourself to cereal. What do you want with your sandwich? We've got apples, oranges, bananas…"

"She never sleeps in."

"I think she's coming down with something, probably just a cold. Hurry up with breakfast, you don't want to be late."

"I'm not allowed cereal, 'cept for the weekends."

"I know, but it's better than if I try to make you breakfast."

Reluctantly Henry grabbed the cereal box and poured some into his bowl. "Mom would never stay in bed with just a cold. What's really going on?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Maybe it's a stomach bug, one of those 24-hour things, I'm not a doctor, I don't know. If she gets worse I'll call Dr Whale."

"Okay." Henry finished his cereal and went upstairs, leaving Emma to clear away his bowl.

An hour after Henry had left, Regina woke up, still feeling ill. She found the lukewarm hot water bottle and smiled; realising Emma had left it for her. Going downstairs, she heard the low volume of the radio and Emma's voice singing along to the music, coming from the kitchen.

"Why aren't you at work?" Regina asked, leaning against the doorframe and frowning.

Emma turned around, surprised that Regina had caught her and wishing she had been a little less enthusiastic with her dancing. Sometimes she forgot that she no longer lived alone and got embarrassed when Henry or Regina saw her. She knew that she got a little carried away and didn't always move exactly to the rhythm. It only bothered her because she was still trying so hard to be more like Regina and she wanted to show she could be more grown up.

"I took the day off to look after you." Emma told her, blushing and returning the plastic cooking spoon to its proper place.

"I'll be fine."

Emma raised a sceptical eyebrow. "You don't look fine. You're pale and I can see you're still in pain. Go back to bed and I'll come up and keep you company."

"I'll be better once I've had some coffee."

"Caffeine is bad, I looked it up." Emma held out her phone so Regina could see the website. "I'll make you a fruit smoothie instead."

"There's caffeine in chocolate."

"Well I'm sure a little won't hurt."

"Then I'll have a _little _coffee."

But Emma shook her head. "Nope. You should also avoid dairy. If you want I can run you a bath? That was one of the suggestions."

"You do realise you can't trust the internet? You have no idea who put the information on there."

"It's a proper medical website. I checked."

Regina walked slowly into the kitchen, as if each step was uncomfortable and took a seat. "Fine, I'll have a smoothie, but I'm watching you make it."

Emma smiled as if she had expected that. "What you do want in it?"

Regina chose the ingredients and rested her chin on the palm of her hands as she watched Emma make it. The distraction helped, but she could only drink half of it.

"Let's get you back upstairs." Emma told her, putting a hand under Regina's elbow.

"I'm not an invalid." Regina reminded her, huffing when Emma laughed.

"I know." Emma assured her. "I just want to help."

Regina allowed Emma to tuck the blankets in around her, wanting to comment on the fact that she was sitting up and therefore didn't need to be tucked in, but part of her was secretly loving having Emma take care of her. When Emma had first moved in, she had argued with Regina to put a television in the room. Regina disapproved the idea, explaining that she had to set an example for Henry. Having a television in the room would give him another excuse to avoid spending time with them. At least when she let him watch his shows he sat downstairs and she could stay in the room with him. Emma had pointed out that a television would let them check the weather reports in the morning. Regina had counted with the fact that they could get the same report on their phones and a radio. Eventually Emma found a compromise. She found that Regina's work laptop had a DVD drive which allowed them to watch films in bed. Emma brought the laptop in now, along with a selection of dvds.

"What do you want to watch first?" Emma asked her, stripping down to her underwear and joining Regina in the bed.

"Anything." Regina shivered as Emma's skin made contact with hers. "You're cold."

"Sorry." Emma opened the drive and slipped the disc inside, but didn't move away. "I found the perfect film for you."

"What is it?"

Emma just smiled and watched the film load. She snuggled up to Regina, linking their arms and resting her head on her shoulder.

As the credits played, nearly an hour and a half later, Emma turned to see what Regina's reaction would be to the film.

"Well, that was…" Regina's mind reeled from the film.

"I just thought… I know you said you liked horror films and Stephen King is pretty scary so I ordered a couple of his dvd's."

"That poor girl."

"What?"

"It was so sad."

"She was a psycho."

"But it wasn't her fault."

"Okay, lets not argue. We'll try something else."

"Not Disney."

"Don't worry, I remember, but I checked Henry's book and there's no mention of this story in there."

Emma had tried showing her Snow White and Sleeping Beauty but it hadn't gone down well. Regina had refused to speak to her for a week and only then because Emma promised to remove the films from the house. During the curse there had been a surprising lack of Disney films in the Storybrooke stores. Only ones with characters she didn't know personally were allowed.

Regina looked over the dvd cover and nodded her head. "Go on then."

Halfway through the film Emma paused it and went to make them some lunch. After the film, she ran a bath for Regina and tidied up the kitchen while she waited for her to finish. By the time Henry came home Regina was feeling a little better and she joined them downstairs for dinner after getting dressed.

"How was your day?" Henry asked her.

Regina glanced at Emma and smiled. "Your mother took good care of me. We're lucky to have her."

Emma blushed. "It was nothing."

"That's not true. No-one's ever looked after me that way."

"I just did what I thought you'd do if it was me or Henry feeling ill."

Regina reached out and took her hand. "Well, you were wonderful. Thank you."

Henry cleared his throat, feeling a little uncomfortable with the show of emotion he was sure was coming. "So, anyway, school was fine."

"That's good." Regina tore her eyes away from Emma. "Any homework?"

"Some."

Normal conversation resumed.

Later that evening, as they went to bed, Regina turned to Emma. "I've been thinking…"

"Yes?"

"I don't think I can handle this every month. Maybe if I just use a little magic, barely enough to power a real spell…"

"Regina, no."

"But…"

"Millions of women go through this. They cope, you'll find a way…"

"But I don't have to."

"What about the other things?"

"What other things?"

"You know, aging, darkness, and the pregnancy stuff." Emma counted them off on her fingers, trying not to forget anything.

"I'm not planning on getting pregnant, and the magic will only slow my aging not stop it completely. As for the 'evil', I'll just be exercising my magic and I'll stick to thinking good thoughts."

"Shouldn't we discuss it?"

"It's my body, it's my choice."

Emma folded her arms. "But you haven't looked into other options. What about getting some kind of medication for it? The website mentioned there was stuff you could take."

"I told you, I don't trust those things."

"Then go to Dr. Whale…"

"Are you serious? I'm not talking to him about this."

"Then I'll ask."

"No. He'll realise it's not for you."

"What if I want more children?"

Regina opened her mouth, closed it and re-opened it. No sound came out.

Emma took the opportunity to continue. "Even if it's not magically possible for us, there's sperm donors…"

"If you want more children we could adopt. Or you could carry them."

"Don't you want to…"

"It has been a really long day. I don't think now is the best time to start thinking about this…"

"Haven't you wondered? I mean, it wasn't until I moved in that I really considered where this is going…"

"I think you're missing a few steps. It's only been a couple of months…"

"Well if you're going to go ahead with your plan to use magic again we need to think about it."

Regina wanted to remind Emma that it was her decision. She wasn't sure she could give up coffee, even just for one day a month. Then she remembered how Emma had looked after her all day. She was in a real relationship now. No longer a Queen giving commands, or a wife pushed back into the shadows. If she wanted this to work she was going to have to…

"I need time to think." Regina explained.

Emma nodded, accepting that. "Maybe I should sleep in the spare room tonight? Give you some space."

"No." Regina grabbed her arm before she could move. "We're not having a fight, so why would you want to go?"

"To give you a chance to think."

"Stay. Please. We'll go to sleep and I'll do the thinking tomorrow."

"Promise?"

Regina promised.

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**AN: So the prompt was "Emma helps Regina with her period or vice versa". What did you think? Again, the ideas took on a life of their own and tried to get me writing more than the one-shot prompt. I don't know what happens next. Maybe I'll write a sequel. Please, no prompts!**


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